Paths Crossed
by CrimeShowFanatic
Summary: It's been two years since Ziva left. Since then, Tony hasn't been himself. What will he do when he finds out she's in New York living with the one and only Richard Castle. Little does he know she has a surprise for him.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A crossover with NCIS and Castle. Time is twisted in this story so let's pretend Castle and Beckett got married a couple of weeks before Ziva left. Not sure if should continue so let me know of what you guys think! [This is my first FanFic. Can you tell? Probably] You should leave a review, though, for me!  
Also, I do not own Castle, nor NCIS. JSYK**

* * *

It's been exactly 2 years since Ziva's been gone. Tony kept count. Exactly 730 days since she didn't come back to Washington with him. Exactly 104 weeks since he had his heart-broken by this beautiful, exotic, Israeli woman. It's been 24 months, and he remembers the night perfectly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**FLASHBACK**

"_Tony you are so-" Ziva started_

"_Handsome? Funny?" Tony interrupts_

"_Loved," she finished_

_And with that they shared a passionate, bittersweet kiss. Once it was over, Tony remarked, "This is not easy, one of the hardest 180s of my life."_

_That was when Tony boarded the plane_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Meanwhile in New York_

Beckett heard the patter of small feet outside her door. Luckily, with much persuasion, Castle convinced her to child proof the loft. At one and a half years old, Elizabeth Castle was an avid walker.. No not a walker, but a _runner. _She was like Rick in so many ways, she was an explorer and _never _listened to Kate. She was a daddy's girl, he had her wrapped around her tiny finger. She was like Kate in many ways too, strong-minded and thick-headed.

Beckett smiled to herself. Life has been good for her. Two years ago, her and Castle had this beautiful spring wedding ceremony. All their family and friends had attended, it was on their honeymoon in Paris, France when Kate found herself pregnant. Castle was beyond ecstatic and begun making preparations for a nursery while they were still in Paris! Gates, however, was less than pleased. She didn't want her top detective to be on leave for such a long time. Beckett smiled to herself, Gates now loves Elizabeth as her own daughter. Elizabeth is not only spoiled by her father, but everyone else at the precinct, she is that lovable. Today was Kate's official first day back at work. Professionally, she is still known as Detective Kate Beckett. She felt Castle stir next to her.

"Looks like the young grasshopper is awake" Castle groaned as he got out bed and opened the bedroom door.

"Momma, momma!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she tumbled into the bedroom.

"Good morning Liz. Are you ready to spend the day with Daddy?"

"Yes!Yes!Yes!Yes!"

"Do you promise you'll be a good girl for Daddy?"

"Uh huh"

"Okay. I'm going to get dressed and I'll meet you and Daddy downstairs for breakfast. How does that sound?"

"Good, Momma!"

Liz, and Castle exited the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen to make some pancakes as Beckett got dressed. When she went downstairs, she braced herself for the mess that was waiting for her arrival in the kitchen. Flour was everywhere! All over their clothes, the floor, and the counter tops were covered in the white dust. Beckett sighed and told Castle that he was going to clean this mess up, including himself, and Liz. She grabbed a pancake, said goodbye to Elizabeth and headed off to work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The work day was uneventful. Beckett was stuck behind her desk doing paperwork until she passed her Psych Exam and got her gun back. When she got home, she found Rick on the phone speaking rapidly in language she thought to be...Hebrew?

"Shalom" Castle said, ending the conversation when he saw her.

"Since when do you speak Hebrew?" Kate asked curiously

"Oh, since college. I went to Israel to research my first novel. I stayed for a year and learned the language pretty quick. I even met some interesting people." He explained. Beckett didn't look so convinced. She read all of his books, none of them took place in Israel.

_Why is he lying to me? _She thought

That night, after Liz was put to sleep, they cuddled on the couch with wine and a movie playing on the TV. Neither of their minds were on the TV however, they were thinking far off thoughts. "Kate can I ask you a question?" Castle asked.

"You already did," she replied, "but continue."

"Well I have this friend from Israel that's in trouble. She was thinking about leaving and coming to America to keep her daughter away from the danger. I was wondering if they could stay here until she gets her feet on the ground? Her daughter is Liz's age and they could stay in the same room, or they could stay in the guest room. I told her I had to talk with you and we'll see about it. What do you think, Kate?" Castle watched her expression throughout his story and tried to guess what she was thinking.

After a couple of minutes Kate said, "Of course, Castle we'll do anything to help your friend. I have one question, however. Who is she?"

Castle looked at his hands guiltily, if he told her she'd probably flip out in her usual Beckett way.

"Castle, who is it?" she pressed.

Quietly he said, "Ziva David."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is the second chapter. I don't know if it's that great but I'd love to hear about what you think! This might be the last chapter for a long time because I want to finish the whole story before publishing it.  
Ta ta, lovelies**

Kate gasped. "Ziva David? Do you mean Tony's Ziva? The one that left him?"

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo is a very close childhood friend of Kate's. She considered him a brother. He was there to comfort her when her mother had been murdered, probably because he knew what she was going through and she was there for him when his mother died in the hospital.. They had tried going out, but found out that if they did, their friendship would've been be ruined. He moved to Washington DC right after their high school graduation. They still kept in touch. After a series of transfers in various city police departments, he applied for a job at NCIS.

That's where he met Agent Gibbs. Kate liked Gibbs, he was the father that Tony deserved. Anthony DiNozzo Sr. had barely acknowledged him and began to drown himself in alcohol. Gibbs, was different. When Kate had first met him, she noticed suppressed pain in his eyes. She recognized that look, she still has it, 15 years after her mother's death. Gibbs made his team follow a set of rules, Kate respected that and occasionally enforced them with her own team, including Castle.

Then, Kate met the other Kate. Caitlin Todd, former Secret Service, was a perfect addition to the team. These two bonded quickly. They always loved to talk about DiNozzo. Beckett loved to share embarrassing stories of when they were young. Beckett also taught Kate how to deal with him, and his antics. Kate really shone through for Beckett when Tony got sick. Kate stuck to him like glue and Beckett felt great knowing that Kate loved Tony as much as she did, maybe even more. Like everyone, the detective was devastated when she found out about Agent Todd's death. Kate even offered her services to the team but when they refused, she knew it wasn't personal.

Agent Timothy McGee was the brother Tony never had. He was the computer geek and had Tony a great time teasing him to the full extent. Tony often gave him nicknames based off of his last name such as McGoo, McGeek, or McSmartyPants. Underneath all the jokes the boys had each others backs. Kate loved McGee. He reminded her so much of Ryan with the awkwardness they both had going on. McGee had met Castle once, at a writer's convention. Beckett had been with him and McGee had thought that Beckett was investigating a case and had asked if she needed any help. When he realized that she was Castle's date, he blushed a deep color of red and quietly excused himself.

Forensic scientist Abby Sciuto was the happiest goth you'll ever meet. Kate had so much respect for that woman, with all that she's gone through, and she still has to deal with the men on her team. Kate's respect grew when she worked so hard and diligent to clear Tony's name when he was framed for murder. This woman was fiercely loyal to her team and Beckett was glad to call her a friend.

Medical examiner Donald "Ducky" Mallard was an interesting man. Originally from Scotland, this medical examiner was never devoid of the stories he had to tell. At first, Beckett doubted these were true. However, once she got to know him she completely believed all of them. Ducky was always there for advice. If Beckett couldn't talk to her own medical examiner, she'd call him, no matter what time it was in DC he always picked up. She was went to him if her case was having trouble and Lanie needed a fresh set of eyes.

When Ziva came along, she was the missing piece of the puzzle that no one knew was missing. When Kate first found out that her brother was the one that killed Agent Todd, she hated her. As time went on, Kate and Ziva began to bond. Ziva explained to Kate life in the Mossad and she also taught her valuable fighting skills. Kate went to her for advice involving Castle. Beckett comforted her when Ziva's father was murdered by Bodnar. She even understood her obsession of finding his killer. Kate also told her stories about Tony and seen them slowly fall in love. They were a lot like her and Castle. Ziva, and the rest of the team were invited to their wedding, almost two years ago. It was only a couple of weeks later when she left and broke Tony's heart.

Kate remembered when Tony called, she was on her honeymoon with Castle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_The phone rang._

"_Mmm. Don't answer it." Castle said sleepily._

_Kate smiled, "I have to, it could be important." _

"_Beckett" she answered automatically_

"_Kate? It's Tony" the voice on the other end said._

"_Tony? Is everything okay?" Kate was worried. Tony would call her unless something big happened._

"_No. It's Ziva. She didn't come back."_

_Kate knew about Tony's trip to Israel and that they had kept in touch after they resigned._

"_What do you mean? You're telling me you left without her? How could you DiNozzo?! You're smarter than that." Kate begun to yell, fully waking Castle up. He left the room giving Kate some privacy._

"_I know. I couldn't do anything about it. She just kissed me and left." Tony sounded so sad. Not to be cliched but he fell hard._

"_Tony, I'm coming back. You can't be alone in a state like this. I'll tell Castle to make the plane reservations earlier than expected. We're leaving a couple-"_

_She was interrupted by Tony, "NO! I will not stay home all day sulking and making you stay with my. It's your honeymoon for Christ's sake, go ahead and enjoy it. Work will keep my mind off her."_

"_Okay, Tony. Just be careful okay?"_

"_Yes, Mom" Kate smiled, she be a little over protective when it came to her best friend._

"_I guess I have to buy another goldfish." Tony mumbled it so Kate wouldn't hear, but she did and she felt her heart break for him. _

"_You'll get through this Tony, I promise."_

_And with that he hung up._

_When Kate heard the line disconnected, she ran to the bathroom._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"WHAT THE HELL CASTLE?!" Kate was yelling now. She stood up, spilling the red wine all over herself but she didn't care.

"Don't you know what she's done to Tony? With that information in mind, you expect me to make her a guest in my home?! What the hell am I supposed to tell him?" She begun to pace, running her hands through her hair.

"Why don't you just not tell him?" Castle suggested.

"Excuse me?" Kate was furious now, "How dare you say that to me, don't you know what Tony means to me? He's practically my brother for God's sake."

She sat down, thinking... thinking HARD. Kate was in a dilemma, she didn't know if she should let the woman who broke her best friend's heart come live with her family.

"She was your friend too you know." Castle said softly, wrapping his arms around her.

"Speaking of friends, how did you two meet? Also,why did you lie to me? I know you didn't go to Israel to research your first novel. I've read it, it had nothing to do the Israel." She left his embrace and stood up.

"Well you'd sit and calm down, maybe I'll tell you my story."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm sorry, I didn't want you guys to wait. So here is Chapter 3! This is actually pretty long for me. Yay! Um did you guys see the season finale of Castle?! That was intense, I cried so hard man...**  
**Onward!**

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"Okay, so it all started in college.." Castle began.

* * *

At that time, I didn't know about my father. However, it seemed like the Israelis knew about it. Apparently he had committed treason against their country and Mossad pursued him. They found out about me and tried to use me as leverage. They kidnapped my right in front of my dorm. I was a pretty built 18-year-old, so they, very sneakily, came behind me and sedated me. I woke up with a cloth bag over my head, I had no idea where I was. My hands and feet were tied to a metal chair, I was immobile. They came in, every day, for what felt like years. My captors proceeded to ask me questions about a man named Jack Taylor. I honestly had no idea who he was, when I told them that, they went on to beating me. Punch after punch, lash after lash, I kept thinking, "Why am I suffering because of this man?"

It was the same man every day. He'd come in with the men that I named The Army. One day the came in, it was probably two weeks after I was abducted, they spoke rapidly, as if they were deciding on what to do with me. Out of the conversation, I understood two thing words, David, and Ziva. I had no idea what "Ziva" meant. I figured it meant the prisoner. I also though that the man's named was David, so in my head that's what I would call him. David and his army.

A couple of days later, David came in, without his army. I was surprised, as I braced myself for that day's beating, he opened the door. The figure that came putt of the doorway was not what I had expected. It was a girl, about my age, maybe a couple of years younger. David looked at the both of us, smirked and left me with her. I guess she was their "secret weapon". By that time, I was so delirious, I though she was there to kill me. As it turns out, she was.

"I don't agree with this." That was the first thing she ever said to me. "Mossad has taught me to be a ruthless 'soldier', this is bad. Mossad is not behind this, this is my father's doing." She was rambling and pacing back and forth. She then remembered that she was not alone in the room. She turned and looked at me and smiled, "Could you be a moose and pretend like I'm physically hurting you?"

A moose? I think she meant 'dear'

I did as she asked, mostly grunting and whimpering my face was so swollen I could barely speak.

She continued to pace and mumble to herself. Then, she looked as if a light bulb turned on in her head. She opened the door and harshly spoke to the two 'soldiers' standing guard outside, after a couple of minutes she came back, smiling mischievously. "I have a plan"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Can you walk?" my mysterious savior had asked me.

I shook my head. I could barely breathe, let alone walk. She sighed and started to look at me, I guess because of my malnutrition, she thought she could probably carry me. And that was what she did. When I was out in the fresh air, I looked at the place where I was held captive, it was a little shack. It seemed so big to me from the inside. I had a gut feeling that I was no longer in New York.

She let go of me and she began to run, I tried following her as fast as I could but my legs felt like jelly and the world begun to spin. I felt her pull me into an alleyway and she shoved me through a door. Inside, it was dark and smelled like rotting fish. She turned the light on and introduced herself.

"My name is Ziva David," She pronounced David like Daveed. "I work for the Mossad, I know you have questions know but let me speak. It has come to light that your father planted a bomb near one of our government official's home." She paused, as to add effect. "Or, I thought it was your father, you see I report directly to my deputy director, who also happens to be my father. However, to me he is just a person of higher ranking. He told me that this Jack Taylor man was responsible for the bomb and the deaths of 12 civilians and 3 officers. He told me to find him, and kill him.. Of course this was off the books, and it wouldn't have been my first kill. There was something in his voice that made me suspicious. As I looked into it, it seemed as if there was no evidence pointing to your father. When I found out about you, I volunteered my specialty. Torture. I knew I needed to get to you before my father kills you. And it seems like I found you at the right time, too. My father he knows how to beat people without leaving any scars, except the mental ones. I had no idea I'd get this far, so I improvised."

As she was explaining my story, she begun to tend to my wounds. When I realized she was that man's daughter I pushed her away but she cautiously came back and started to finish. I had so many questions swimming through my head, I couldn't ask her because my face was too swollen. She told me a little more about herself.

"As you know, my name is Ziva David. I am 16 years old. I was recruited by the Mossad at the age of 12, I had undergone series of tests to prove I was worthy enough. I stood through hours of torture and fighting lessons until I was administered my Red Test. My objective, to kill a man and his wife whilst sleeping in bed. I did it with no question, their children were sound asleep in the next room. After that I became Mossad's muppet. I have an older half-brother, Ari. He's a kind man and he's studying to become a doctor. Actually I believe he is on his way here to tend to your wounds. Then, I have a beautiful eleven year old sister, Talia or Tali, as I like to call her. She is the sweetest most loving person I have ever met. Next year, she will be recruited by the Mossad, if she fails her tests, they will kill her with no regret. That's why I will fight for her, no matter what it takes."

As she was telling her story, I couldn't but admire this girl. She has been through so much and she has yet to become an adult. What have I done with my life? Party and sleep with strangers. I was in an infinite debt to her, I owed Ziva my life. Her English was perfect, except for her understanding of idioms and metaphors. Just then there was a pattern of knocks that sounded very similar to Morse Code. Ziva stood up, grabbed her gun and slowly opened the door, she visibly relaxed when she saw who it was. She opened the door wider to let the man come in. This stranger scrunched his nose at the scent but his face softened when his eyes landed on me. When he saw me a look of sympathy and pity was obviously showed on his face. I didn't want this man's sympathy, or pity, I sat up straighter and looked ahead, obviously too proud to care about what this guy thought of me, who did he think he was?

I didn't realize he had a medical bag with him until he placed it in front of me. That's when I realized, this was Ziva's brother, Ari. He was a doctor, and he was here to help me. He helped me stand up, then he continued to look at me. His face hardened when he saw my back, there were no cuts or scrapes just bruises.

"They will pay this, this is the last straw. How dare they hurt innocent people like this? They will learn, he will have a taste of his own medicine," Ari muttered under his breath. He? Who was he? Probably his father.

When he was done looking at me, he turned to Ziva. "Okay Ziva, listen carefully, you need to keep a very close eye on him. He needs very special care." Ari continued, "You will have to wrap his chest as tightly as possible, however, he has to breathe. You have to do this every twelve hours for a week. You also need bottles of water, a lot of them. This man is severely dehydrated and malnourished, so get him so food too."

A week? I can't stay here for a week, I have to get back home. I tried sitting up to say something. Instead, I just groaned. Ari shushed me. "Next, use this balm over his face and back, it will heal the bruising quicker."

Then, he turned to me, "You got very lucky. My father's men left no scars. He did leave severe bruising, some blood clots, and a couple of broken ribs. It might hurt breathing for the next couple of weeks. The tightly wrapped gauze will help the ribs set. Now, this balm is practically magic. It will heal the bruising and the clots. It will take some time for these to heal. I do not want you going back to America looking like this. Until you fully heal, you're staying here in Israel. Doctor's orders." He spoke to me in a soft voice, but I could see the hardness in his eyes. He clearly does not like his father.

"Thank you so much, Ari. I really do appreciate it." Ziva said.

Ari walked over to her, and held her shoulders. He started speaking rapid Hebrew and Ziva started to look angry. Then they started to argue, Ari let go of her, reached into his bag, pulled out a needle, and gave it to her. I was almost positive that needle was for me. I just didn't know what it did.

He walked out and that was the last I'd seen of Ari Haswari.

A couple minutes later, Ziva walked out, murmuring something about getting the supplies we needed. I think she's uncomfortable around me.

This gave me time to look around. I was in some kind of warehouse that probably stored fish, based on the smell of it. It was either the fish, or me. I tried standing up, when accomplished that feat, I started to walk around. By the looks of it, the sun was going down. I tried speaking, first I started to opening and closing my mouth. My lips were basically glued together and they were in desperate need of some Chapstick.

It was getting late and I was getting worried. Where the hell was Ziva? She should be back now, shouldn't she?

That's when the warehouse door slammed open and Ziva came staggering in holding ripped bags. "I was ambushed," she said, gasping. "There was so many of them. They were waiting for me outside of the supermarket, hoping I would lead them to you. I fought them off as best as I could then I ran." She laughed without humor. "Ziva David, Mossad's fiercest soldier, ran. I will make sure that will never happen again. I will never let anyone overpower me." When she said that, I was scared. Scared at what she was capable of.

I tried comforting her, "It's alright, you're still young, you still have a lot to learn." I knew I sounded cheesy but, what would you say to a teenage assassin?

"You don't understand! I shouldn't be making mistakes. In Mossad, if you make a mistake, you're dead. I should have known that I was being followed. I guess I thought that I hid ourselves so well, they wouldn't find me. I was mistaken."

I heard leaves rustling outside, in a flash Ziva was at my side, helping me up.

"We need to get out of here. I will have to take you to the next safe house, no matter how soon it is."

I got up, and started for the front door, Ziva pulled me down and opened the latch on the floor. A secret room, of course. She ushered me down with the groceries and told me to as quiet like a rat and to wait until she's done. Done with what? As soon as she closed the tile, I heard some scraping, I bet she was moving the couch that I was on back over it. A couple of minutes later I heard the door to the warehouse open with a bang, and a lot of footsteps over my head. There was a lot of yelling, but I couldn't make out the words. Then, there was thumping, it sounded like bodies hitting the floor. After the third thump, I started counting. When I got up to 556, Ziva opened door. "The coast is clear" she said with a sly smile. When I climbed up the ladder, I noticed five bodies on the floor. These men were twice Ziva's size and yet, she took them down. "How many men ambushed you at the supermarket?" I asked. She replied with, "50"

Behind us I heard a tsk tsk sound. I turned around and saw a fit Israeli man leaning against the wall.

"Malachi," Ziva growled. Great, so they knew each other. "I'll deal with you later, Ziva" the man said.

Out of nowhere, he appeared next to me. Why are these Israeli's so freaking fast? The mysterious man held me by my throat, "Where is Jack Taylor?"

I replied with the hardest punch I could muster. Apparently I hit him pretty hard because he fell to the floor.

"Did you see that?!" I exclaimed and Ziva nodded."Convenient but not something that I would do." she replied. I took that as a compliment.

"We should keep going before more men find us. Can you walk? Do you think you could walk a few miles? Should I carry you?" Ziva was talking so fast. I cut her off and said, "Ziva, I think I'll be fine. Can we just go?"

We walked a long distance, I estimated 10 miles. I judged it was a mile by the amount of bottles of water I drank. Finally, I seen civilization up ahead. I asked Ziva, who was silent most the trip, if that was where we were headed. She absent mindedly nodded. Ever since we left she was in a daze. I think it had something to do with that Malachi kid. He was maybe around my age, probably older.

When we got into town, Ziva stopped in front of an apartment building and went in and I followed her. We some flights of stairs and stopped in front of room 207. The apartment was pretty big. It had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The living room and kitchen were pretty spacious. When we arrived the sun was just beginning to rise. That was when I realized how tired I was. I told Ziva that I was tired and was going to sleep.

I slept. I slept long and peacefully. Ziva only woke me up to change my gauze and reapply the balm. The this time, I hardly noticed I was in any pain. I had gotten used to it. When I woke up, it felt like I had a huge hangover. Ziva told me I was asleep for almost two days. She also said that was normal for someone who experienced the torture I experienced.

That morning she made me breakfast. Eggs and bacon. Apparently she knows, "The way Americans love their bacon."

While we were eating I asked her about Malachi.

"Malachi is my partner in Mossad, and nothing else." Ziva told me I could tell she felt something for him but I decided not to push it.

As Ari said, it did take a while for all my wounds to heal. Almost two years. After the first week, Ziva and I fell into a routine. In the morning she'd make me breakfast. Then, for the next three hours she would teach me Hebrew. Afterwards, I would learn some fighting techniques. She wouldn't teach me anything heavy because I still needed to heal. She'd make dinner and then I'd tell her about life in America. She still was like a teenager. She asked me if I met any celebrities and if they were as cute in real life as the were in the magazines. Finally, we'd go to sleep.

I never asked where she got the money to pay our bills, or the pay for food. I was to afraid of what the answer would be.

I stayed for four years. Long enough for my mother to think I actually went to college.

When I came to America, I was stronger than ever before. I spoke fluent Hebrew and made a lifelong friend.

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"And that's it." Castle said, "That's the story of how I met Ziva David."

Kate stared at him intently. Why hadn't he mentioned this before?

"I didn't think this was that important because I never knew this 'Jack Taylor' guy and they never came back for me. I assumed that they mistook me for someone else." Kate sat there, speechless. She stood up abruptly and hugged him. "I never knew you went through so much" she whispered.

At that moment Liz started crying in her room. Kate went to go soothe her and Rick followed. As she was rocking her, Kate looked up and asked, "Wait, did you say she had a baby?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is pretty short. I'm really sorry! I know you guys have waited but I felt that it should end where it ended. Also, did you see the finale for NCIS? I thought it was so sad. Don't worry, another chapter is soon on the way.**

* * *

Ziva just hung up the phone with Richard. She sighed and wondered what Beckett would say when Rick told her. Ziva worried that she would say no. If Kate rejected her, she'd have nowhere to go. She was not a Mossad officer anymore. Her relationship with Mossad was strained, to say so in the least. When Ziva officially left NCIS, Mossad hadn't welcomed her with opened arms.

Now, that Ziva's in this dilemma, she has no access to their safe houses. She was clearly capable of defending herself, but when it came to little Tali, she wouldn't risk it. Tali is young, only 18 months old. She depended on her mother to protect her. That's exactly what Ziva David plans to do.

_ This is all Bodnar's fault, _Ziva thought. _He caused me enough pain while he was living. Now that he's dead, he's still inflicting my family pain. _While investing Bodnar, Ziva discovered that he was part of this extremist group named The Dominates. Apparently, they've taken interest in Ziva and would like to recruit her. When Ziva flat out refused, they sent a couple of goons to kidnap her. That happened when Ziva had been three months pregnant. They would pursue her on occasion, lately, it's been more dangerous. Just last week, while grocery shopping, Ziva witnessed her car getting blown up. That's when she decided, she needed to leave Israel. Tali needed to get out of harm's way.

Tali was the spitting image of her father. She had caramel colored hair and hazel eyes. Tali acted like him too. She was outgoing and could never stop talking. She was also aware of everything, just like her mother. Even though Tali was young, she was so mature for her age. Already, she is learning both Hebrew and English. When Tali was born, Ziva figured she might never meet her father, probably because he didn't know of her existence. Tali was the reason Ziva left NCIS, not because of Bodnar.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ziva sighed and looked down. According to the box, she had to wait five minutes for a sign to appear. It's been a couple of days since Tony found her in Israel, that night was magical. Now, she felt the aftermath. During the morning, she'd feel queasy and run to the bathroom. Tony just thought that she had a bad case of food poisoning, but Ziva knew better. She became more sensitive to the smells around her. It was yesterday when Ziva decided to get a pregnancy test. She went to an Israeli drugstore. When she couldn't find what she was looking for, she asked a clerk, he gave her a weird look. Like he was judging her, she didn't like. Ziva just bought the test and rushed home. She was relieved to find Tony gone. As Ziva counted down the minutes, she looked down. There it was. A pale pink plus sign. Ziva sucked in a breath, deep down, she knew that it was true. Ziva David was pregnant with Anthony DiNozzo Jr.'s baby and she had no idea how to tell him.

She carefully hid the box and the stick, somewhere where Tony would never look. She hid them behind her tampons. _Something I wouldn't be needing for a while_, Ziva thought. She found Tony on the phone, most likely talking to McGee or Gibbs in Washington. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but she savored the moment. The way the sun made his hair, the gleam in his eye, his relaxed state. He looked so happy and Ziva knew she was going to take that happiness away. That why she has this moment etched into memory.

When Tony finished his conversation and hung up, he turned and looked at her. He didn't say a word, he just came up and hugged her. While in his embrace, Ziva murmured, "You have to go back to Washington."

"I know, we'll leave soon, or now. Whatever you want." Tony started

"No. You have to go back to work, back to Washington, your life. I need to stay here, I can't leave." As the words were tumbling out of Ziva's mouth she immediately regretted them. But what's done is done, she couldn't do anything about it. This had to be done, even if both their hearts would break in the process.

"Ziva, what are you talking about? I thought we would go back, together." Tony said.

"No, Tony. I can't go back, you wouldn't understand," Ziva hated lying to Tony. "I've made arrangements for a friend to fly you back to Washington tomorrow, so get packing." He looked so heartbroken. She just turned around and went outside, she didn't come back until the next morning. When she walked in, she saw Tony's bags by the door. _Good, he's already packed._ Ziva thought. She smelled eggs in the kitchen and her stomach rumbled. _Now, I'm eating for two._ She went to the kitchen and sat down. Tony didn't even look at her as he filled her plate. They ate in an uncomfortable silence. Tony finished and stood up, "I guess I should start leaving now, shouldn't I?"

"I'll drive you, the airfield is pretty far," Ziva said.  
"It's all right, I got it. I would want to inconvenience you in any way." If his remark was meant to make her feel bad, than it hit it's mark.  
"Please, I insist" Ziva said cooly.  
The ride was quiet and uneventful. By the time they got to the airfield, it was dark and the plane was waiting for them.

When Ziva stopped the car, she was holding back tears, she really did not want him to go. When he got his bag, she needed to say something.  
"Tony you are so-" Ziva started

"Handsome? Funny?" Tony interrupts

"Loved," she finished

He looked confused but more relieved. That was when they shared a passionate, bittersweet kiss. Once it was over, Tony remarked, "This is not easy, one of the hardest 180s of my life."

Then, Tony boarded the plane

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ziva's phone rang, after the first ring, she answered. It was Rick. "She said yes. I booked your flight for tomorrow night, I hoped your packed." Ziva felt hope bloom inside her. "Thank so much Rick. You have no idea how grateful I am. We won't cause trouble, I promise. I am forever in your debt." Ziva was talking fast, what usually happens when she's nervous. Rick laughed, "Let's just say, I owe you one. But," he paused, "We're going to have some questions."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Guys, I'm really sorry. Please don't hate me. So much things have happened these couple of months and I felt a little overwhelmed. As a token of my appreciation, I'm giving you two chapters! They probably aren't the best but I'm learning. **

"Gear up, we have a dead sailor down at Quantico," Gibbs walked in the squad room and threw the keys to Bishop

"Do I really get to drive today? Sweet" She said with a grin

"Alright, get a move on it, Probie." Tony replied.

McGee was silent on the ride there. "What's wrong McGoo? Cat caught your tongue?" Tony joked.

"Did you know that I'm old enough to be a father now? " McGee blurted out. "I know Delilah and I have just gotten serious but she's moving to Dubai and I think my time is running out"

Tony decided to end this rant. "Listen McGoo, you're still young. Just like you said, you and Delilah just started getting serious. Why would you even think about this? If you mention this to her, you could possibly ruin your relationship. Go live your life..."

"Tony, you don't understand," McGee interrupted. "Almost all of my friends are married and have kids. Take Kate for example, she's married and a two year old daughter." This statement shut Tony up because it was true.

_McGee's right. At least he has a girlfriend. Look at yourself, single but you still love this woman who doesn't love you back. McGee has a girlfriend, Bishop has a husband,what do I have? Nothing. _Tony thought to himself.

The silence in the van was deafening. Ellie decided she should do something about it. "Listen to yourselves whine like little girls. I, for one, am deciding not to have kids until I'm ready."

Tony scoffed, "At least you're married, Bishop. McGee's dating, but look at me everyone! I'm single and ready to mingle." he said in a resigned tone

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gibbs beat them to the crime scene. One look at his team and he could tell something went down in that van.

"Well, it seems like this poor man was shot three times in the chest, close range. He appears to be in his late thirties. He also put up a fight. Do you see his defensive wounds here, Jethro? It seems to me that he's had some type of defensive training in the past. Also, he seems to have been dead for about 36 hours or so. You know a few years ago I stumbled upon someone ju-" Medical examiner Ducky Mallard begun one of his stories before Gibbs cut him off. "Thanks Duck," he said. "Does anyone have an ID on this guy?" he asked his team.

"I do," McGee held up a New York drivers license. "His name is Samuel Reid. His address states he live in Queens, New York. I haven't found his Naval ID however."

"Keep looking" Gibbs barked.

"That's weird. What's a Yankee doing all the way down here?" DiNozzo asked.

"That's what you and Bishop gonna find out DiNozzo" Gibbs told him.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" he asked.

"Go pack your bags" was the only thing Tony needed to hear.

"Err, I'm not really understanding what is going here" Bishop told Gibbs.

"I means, Probie, that we're going to the City that Never Sleeps!" Tony exclaimed just as McGee finished his search."What I miss?" he asked. "Well McSearch, Bishop and I are going to give Beckett a little visit."

Just as McGee groaned, Gibbs told Tony, "Remember the case comes first. I don't want you to drop it just so you can spend with your friend. Figure out why our vic came down here, then you can spend your free time with Kate and her family"

Tony saluted and he and Bishop headed towards the van. As they were driving back to NCIS Bishop couldn't stop talking.

"Oh my gosh. I've never been to New York City. Have you? I wonder if it's like what they show in the movies. Do you think we're gonna have to ride the subway? Or take the famous yellow taxi. I heard they're changing the color to green, That's kinda weird. What am I gonna pack? How long are we staying?" Tony had enough. "Listen, Bishop, am I going to have to buy noise cancelling headphones for the plane? If so, please tell me now before I regret it. Now can you just stay a little quiet until we get back to the office?"

"Fine," Ellie responded, "But first answer a question."

"What?"

"Who are Beckett and Kate?"

Tony laughed when he realized that Ellie and Kate have never met before. He was really excited that he was getting to see her. They haven't seen each other for a couple of months due to the never ending search of Benham Parsa. Tony also couldn't wait to see his favorite goddaughter in the entire world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the plane landed, Bishop and Tony were discussing what to do. "Here's what we'll do. First, we're gonna stop by the hotel room, grab a couple of Z's if needed. Then check out the address on our guy's license. Does that sound like a deal?" Tony asked her. "Yup, sounds cool."

When they got to the room, the agents discovered that they weren't at all tired. "All right then. Let's go and explore the Big Apple!" Ellie exclaimed. Tony sighed and rolled his eyes. "I sincerely hope you aren't carsick. Our car ride to Queens is gonna take a while considering the traffic." DiNozzo considered stopping by the 12th and asking Kate if they could borrow her car for the sirens. He decided against that because he wanted to surprise her. So they settled on getting a rental.

"So, do you want to drive? Or should I?" Bishop asked him.

"Gimme the keys. You don't know New York like I do." Tony said as he grabbed the keys out of Ellie's hand.

"Okay then, your choice." Ellie sighed and followed him out the door.

Tony managed to get them lost about four times. They stopped to ask pedestrians for directions twice. When the reached the apartment building Bishop was fuming.

"You should have let me drive!" she exclaimed. "One out of five people get lost in big cities like this. At least I memorized the directions."

"You know what Bishop? I knew where I was going! I just couldn't handle all your jabbering in my ear. So of course we got lost!" Tony tried hard defending his pride.

"Whatever, let's just get this place checked out. Which apartment? 3B right?" she said heading for the front door.

When they reached 3B, they discovered the door was ajar. Simultaneously, they drew their guns and walked into the dark apartment.

Tony sensed some movement in front of him and he yelled, "Freeze! Federal agents."

As Tony said that a female voice yelled, "NYPD, drop your weapon!"

The light turned on and Tony found himself staring at the barrel of a gun belonging to Detective Kate Beckett of the NYPD.


	6. Chapter 6

"What the hell do you think you're doing DiNozzo? My team could have shot you two." Beckett said as she, along with Ryan and Esposito, lowered their weapons.

"Well, I could ask you the same thing considering you're in my victim's apartment." Tony shot back. He was a bit surprised. What exactly is she doing here? "So.. what are you people doing here. Also, why were the lights off?" he asked.

"We're looking for our suspect, Samuel Reid. However considering what you told us about this being your victim's apartment, I'm assuming he's dead." Ryan told him.

"Suspect? Why suspect? What did he do? Also, who are you?" Bishop asked. She didn't understand what was going on.

"Bishop, this is Homicide Detective Kate Beckett of the NYPD. Her two goons in the back are Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito" Tony told her.

"Hey man, that was uncool" Ryan said.

"Yeah," his partner agreed. "Also, if you try to say my with a Spanish accent ever again I will cut you"

"Oh, so this is the Beckett you where talking about" Bishop said. She extended her hand waiting for Beckett to shake it but she didn't. "And who are you exactly?" Beckett asked.

"Oh, I'm Ellie Bishop. Former NSA analyst turned to NCIS probationary agent." she answered happily. Beckett ignored her and turned to Tony. "I'll meet you at the precinct in about an hour so I could explain everything to you. However, I don't want any feds stepping all over my case. Got it?"

Tony saluted as Beckett and her team walked out the door.

_Where's Castle? _Tony wondered, _He's probably with Liz at home._

"How do you know the Ice Bitch?" Ellie asked.

"Put a sock in it Bishop. She's a really old friend of mine. She's also not that bad." Tony explained. He wondered what had gotten into Kate and why was she being so cold?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kate stormed into the apartment, fuming. Mostly she was surprised and nervous. She slammed the door behind her and started to pace, cursing under her breath.

"Are you all right?" said a soft voice. Kate looked up to see Ziva coming down the stairs, a sleeping Tali was in her arms.

"Well, Ziva, you'll never guess who I ran into before while chasing down a lead." Kate said. She watch as Ziva laid Tali down, right next to a sleeping Liz. Ziva's been here for only two weeks and the girls had become the best of friends. Ziva had been a great house guest too. Ever since she came she's been helping out with the cooking, cleaning, and even taking care of both girls. The only problem was, Tony didn't know that Ziva was living with them. At first Kate felt a little uneasy over her because of what she had done to Tony. After a few days she begun to understand why Ziva did what she did to him.

"Who did you run into? Someone famous perhaps?" Ziva asked her.

"Tony's here" as Kate said those two words she watched as Ziva froze and took a deep breath.

"How?" she asked. "What is he doing here? Did you invite him?"

"What? I wouldn't want to jeopardize you and Talia's safety. He's here because apparently our suspect and only lead in this case is his victim. He's also here with this blond girl from the NSA. "

Ziva couldn't decide on what she should do. "I don't know what to do Kate. Can you try to keep him as far away from here as possible?" Ziva asked her.

"Of course," she replied. "I have to meet up with him at the precinct to discuss the cases we're working on. I'll take Castle with me to the precinct. Liz will probably stay asleep for about another hour or two because she sleeps like a rock. Take your time in deciding on what you should do. I'm not planning on telling him." Why would she? She'll just causally bring up into a conversation that the woman he used to love left him because she had to take care of his child that he didn't even know about.

Kate left to room to search for Castle. When she found him in his room, she explain the sticky situation she was in. They agreed that keeping Tony away from the apartment until Ziva makes her decision.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beckett was a half hour late. Tony sat in front of the white board sipping on his cappuccino from the machine. He was trying to figure out the connection these two cases had. Bishop was on the phone talking to McGee in Washington. Espo and Ryan stayed in the apartment building asking the residents questions about Reid. Tony heard the elevator ding and turned around. He seen Beckett and Castle walk out laughing with coffee cups in their hands.

"Um, excuse me miss, might I ask why you are so late?" Tony stood up and faced the couple. "Also why didn't I get my hello back in the apartment?"

Kate went up and hugged him. "I'm really sorry about that Tony. You just caught me really by surprise. You know how I don't like surprises."

"It's all right. No problemo. Castle! My man, how's the writing going for you?" Tony said.

"Well, I've hit sort of a dry spell. I'm just hoping this case is juicy enough to inspire me" Castle replied. With all the drama that might go down, he's sure to have at least some ideas for an upcoming book.

"Okay, now that we're all caught up in our personal lives, let's catch you up on this case." Beckett said as soon as Bishop finished her phone call.

"Gibbs said that this is now a joint case and the most qualified person would lead so, detective, the case is all yours. His exact words, give or take a few." Bishop said before Beckett could speak.

"All right then. Let's get started. Our victim's name is George Spencer. He was found dead in his apartment on Monday. He took three bullets to the chest. According to Lanie the bullet was a .22 caliber most likely shot from a Glock. He used a silencer and it was until the neighbors started smelling something foul he was found. He has no living family. He worked as a manager in the local pizzeria. According to his customers, he was a very nice man, quiet and respected. I spoke to the owner who told me he had no disputes with anyone, always came in on time and closed the shop every night. There was nothing to go on. Here is your average guy, he even had no library fines. It wasn't until Ryan found this deleted message on his cell. That's when we caught our break." Kate placed a small recorder on her desk and pressed play.

_Listen here you little prick. I don't know who you think you are. You're not special, you have to pay up before the boss finds out. If I don't get my money within the next three days, I'll kill you._

The recording ended. It was time stamped a week before Spencer's murder.

"Do you know what this guy was talking about?" Tony asked the detectives

Kate shook her head, "I have no idea. Ryan traced the call back to your guy's phone. That's why we were at his apartment, we wanted to pick him up for questioning."

"Didn't you guys realize he was out of town?" Bishop asked. "I mean if you did your research, shouldn't you have realized he hopped a plane to D.C.?"

Beckett gave Bishop one look and she shut up. "There was nothing in his financials that had him buying a plane ticket to Washington." Espo spoke up. "We put out a BOLO for him but none of the airports gave us anything."

"So you think he drove there?" Tony asked. "Man, this case is getting complicated. Excuse me, I'm gonna make a call."

Tony pulled out his phone and called Gibbs.  
"How's the case DiNozzo?" he heard from the other end of the line.  
"I should be asking you the same question"  
"It's not our case anymore. Turns out he wasn't really a Navy officer. We handed the case to Metro this morning."  
"Then why are Bishop and I still here?"  
"The director thought that NYPD could use an extra set of hands. Gates also agreed, so that's why it's a joint investigation."  
"There's something weird about this case, boss. This average man gets shot dead in the chest and they found an incriminating message on hims phone sent from our victim. Has Ducky done the autopsy or did you hand it off to Metro's ME?'  
"Well, DiNozzo, Ducky actually did the autopsy, however I don't have the report. McGee does. Here speak"

Tony heard some shuffling and soon he heard McGee's familiar voice.  
"Alright Tony, what do you want."  
"McGoo! Can you give me Reid's autopsy file?"  
"Yeah, hold on" In the distance he heard the clacking on his keyboard.  
"Okay, I got it. What do you need to know? Do you want me to fax it there?"  
"Actually, you should do that. Good thinking McGee. But first just humor me. What he killed by a .22 fired from a Glock?"  
"Yes. How did you know? They also used a silencer" This confirmed that both victims were shot by the same gun.  
"I'm psychic. Now can you also send over Abby's reports?"  
"Thanks Tim, I'll talk to you later."  
"Bye, Tony"


	7. Chapter 7

**Hiya guys. You hate me admit it and I'm very sorry but things come up and I'm afraid this is how things might be. Stay patient with me okay? Follow my tumblr: CrimeShowFanatic for updates and stuff. If you have any questions PM me. On another note. HAVE YOU SEEN THE SEASON PREMIERE OF CASTLE? OH MY GOD THAT WAS GREAT. SAME WITH THE NCIS PREMIERE, AND NCIS: NEW ORLEANS. IT'S ALL GREAT. WOO HOO.  
Halloween is near everyone. Can you taste it in the air?  
**

* * *

Back at the loft, Ziva was contemplating her ways on how to tell Tony. Maybe she should first face him. Once he overcomes his surprise, they'll sit down and start explaining what Ziva's been up to these past two years. Then Ziva will talk about Tali and she had her and she's his daughter. _That's the perfect plan. _Ziva thought. _Something's bound to go wrong. Nothing is ever perfect. _She'll need to come up with a Plan B, C, and D. With Plan D involving taking Tali and running away again. This time she can't run away, especially not from this.

Ziva heard feet shuffling and turned to see Tali staring back at her. She was looking at her mother inquisitively. Ziva never considered what Tali would do when she'll meet Tony. Will she embrace him? Or act cold and distant. What if she doesn't like him? _It's no matter he's her father. She'll come to love him soon._ Right now, Ziva just wants to spend time with her little baby. They went to the park where they played an interesting game of catch...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"As it turns out... it was just a costume. An elaborate one at that" Beckett said as she hung up the phone with Metro PD.

"The question is, why was he wearing it in the first place?" Castle thought out loud. The question stumped everyone.

That's when Ellie jumped. "Tony!" she exclaimed, "Remember the mauling case?"

She turned to the rest of the team. "A couple of months back we caught a mauling case. But it wasn't really a mauling case you see-"

"Get to the point Bishop." Beckett interrupted sharply.

Bishop shot her a dirty look before continuing, "So our victim was part of this elite underground club. So underground even Gibbs didn't know about it. They only accepted military personnel. In order to get in you need a military I.D. Or come in your uniform."

Tony laughed, remembering what happened when they tried to get in. "You'd think going in there with a fake uniform would help you get in. Yeah, no. They could spot a fake a uniform from a mile away. Not only that, they pulled a background check within five minutes once we got in there. I don't think poor McGee was ever hit so hard."

"So you think Ried was trying to get into this club? But what's so special about it?" Esposito asked the Washington team.

"It's not the club exactly, it's the people who attend." Tony answered.

"Who exactly?"

"We think that a lot of the higher ups go there to blow off some steam. Secretary of Defense, Head of the CIA, the Vice President, even the President himself is rumored of often going."

"Powerful people, a lot of secrets. Maybe Reid was trying to get to see if anyone would tell him anything. Maybe someone would get drunk and spill everything to anyone within earshot" Beckett speculated.

"I don't think so, Detective" Bishop started. "These are pretty powerful people. I don't think they'd risk nation security in some drunken stupor."

Even though Beckett didn't want to admit it, she was right. All Beckett did was turn around and walk away. As she was walking she yelled back, "Call McGee. Tell him to go over there and ask around."

Bishop watched with an incredulous look. Then she looked over at Tony who gave her a thumbs up and flashed her a smile. That's when she realized the Ice Bitch was warming up to her. She smiled and picked up the phone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in NCIS headquarters everything was quiet. Ever since they handed the case over to Metro PD and DiNozzo and Bishop were gone, it was boring. Gibbs would most the time stay at his desk looking at his computer screen, or hang out in the director's office. McGee would stay with Abby, helping her when she needed an extra hand. If he wasn't in Abby's lab, he was on the phone talking to Delilah and listening to her talk about her day in Dubai. Yup, everything was bland until Bishop called.

Both Gibbs and McGee were at their desk doing paperwork. The ringing phone startled McGee, he waited for Gibbs to answer it before realizing it was his phone that was ringing.

"Special Agent McGee," he automatically said. When he heard the voice on the other end he immediately perked up.

"Bishop! How's New York? Hold on let me put you on speaker." he said. Once she was on speaker Gibbs asked her about the progress of the case.

"Hiya Gibbs. Actually I called to see if you guys could follow up on a lead we have. It could be nothing but it's worth a shot. McGee, remember that military club you got thrown out of a couple of months ago?"

Bishop asked McGee.

"How could I forget?" he said, "I still have the bite mark from that pitbull."

"Yeah.. so about that," she continued. "You're gonna have to go back and ask some questions about our two victims. I'm emailing you of picture of both now." she said quickly before hanging up.

"Are you kidding me!" McGee exclaimed. "They can't do this to me, right Boss?"

Gibbs just laughed and told him, "Well she did ask nicely."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

McGee dreaded the hour and a half drive to Winchester, Virginia. That bar was dangerously well protected. He remembered the last time the NCIS tried to gain access.

He and Tony had played rock paper scissors to see who would go undercover. Of course, Tony won. Once McGee put on the inauthentic uniform they wired him and set him off. The club was a worn out old building in the middle of nowhere. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A second after the first knock the door opened and a man in his mid thirties opened the door. "State your name and branch of military." he snarled.

"Uh, Private Michael Ripley, United States Navy." McGee said tentatively.

"Do you have military I.D. on you?" the man asked. When McGee shook his head the man sighed and let him in. McGee found himself in a dimly lit hallway. It was well furnished, however. He spotted a velvet couch and sat down. When he sat down he saw that there were security cameras covering every door. "Boss, I don't think this is a regular club." he whispered to one of his buttons.

"You think so McGoo? I mean c- ouch! Sorry, Boss" McGee smiled when he realized Gibbs slapped Tony on the back of his head.

McGee sat there for about five minutes until the man came back, he stood up.

"What was your name again, Private?" the man asked McGee.

"Michael Ripley, sir" he replied.

"Are you sure? Because according to our database, Michael Ripley doesn't exist." as the man was talking, he was walking closer to McGee. McGee kept his ground and stood up a little straighter.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir" he said firmly.

"I'll show you what I'm talking about." McGee didn't even see the punch coming. The stranger hit him so hard he blacked out. When he came to, he was gasping for air. He was surprised Gibbs didn't come busting in with his gun out. McGee stayed there, breathing hard. That was when he started hearing voices.

"What should we do with him?" a gruff voice asked. McGee recognized it as the guard who punched him

"Sic the dogs on him, that'll teach him not to lie. Wouldn't it?" a melodious female voice spoke.

When McGee realized that there were gonna be dogs attacking him, he stood up and staggered to the door. He picked his ear piece from off the floor and spoke into it. "Boss? Boss? Um we have a slight problem."

"Whatever you do, McGee, stay put!" He heard Gibbs's voice but it was too late. McGee already heard the barking. He busted down the door he thought he came in from and ran for his life. McGee was running as fast as he could, but the dogs were faster, much faster. He tripped over a tree root and felt teeth tear through his calf. The last thing he remembered was hearing a gunshot and seeing Gibbs's face before blacking out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Time went by until McGee seen the entrance to club. His stomach clenched when he thought about going up there and facing that guard again. He nervously got out the car and tried the think of ways to get out of his predicament before reaching the door. Too late. Without even knocking he came face to face with the guard that knocked him out. "You," he growled. "You have a lot of guts coming here after what happened last time. Haven't you learned your lesson? Do you want the dogs to come back?"

McGee swallowed a breath of air before replying, "My name is Special Agent McGee, NCIS. I'm just wondering if you recognize this man." He showed the guard a picture of Reid.

"Sammy? Yeah I know Sammy boy here, everyone knows Sammy. Why are the Navy cops looking into him? What has he done this time?"

McGee was in his investigator's mode. "How do you know him exactly? What do you mean by 'this time'?"

"Well, Sammy works here. He's one of the bartenders pretty popular with our guests. Especially with the ladies. But rumor has it, he plays for the other team.. If you know what I mean" It took McGee a minute to figure out what the guard was talking about.

"Oh, so you mean Mr. Reid was gay?"

"That's exactly what I mean, what do you mean by _was_? What happened to him?" the guard started getting worried.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Samuel Reid was found dead wearing a sailor's uniform, do you know why that is?"

The guard faltered he wasn't expecting this news. "Uh, yeah it was part of the uniform. You know, make the personnel feel more comfortable"

McGee could tell the guard was upset he said, "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you some more questions. What's your name? Who do you work for? And do you know why Mr. Reid had a New York license with him?"

"Sorry, my name is Dean Reid, Sammy was my half-brother he contacted me a couple of months ago and told me. He also told me he lost his job as a bartender in New York. I told my boss, Alyssa Monroe and she offered him a job here. Alyssa isn't here now, she's up in New York doing business."

McGee figured that he gathered enough questions. He gave Dean his card and told him to call him if he thinks of anything else. When McGee got to his car, he sighed with relief, at least no dogs were chasing him. As he was driving away, he realized that the guard never let him in.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here you guys are. I don't know if this is short or not. If you think it is, I'm sorry. ALSO, if anyone has read Blood of Olympus PM me because that book was just :0**

* * *

Tony just got off the phone with McGee. He learned about the brother and why he was wearing a sailor's uniform. Tony was in the 12th Precinct squad room. He looked around. Ryan and Esposito were on their computers and Bishop went somewhere to make a call, probably to Jake. In the break room, Castle and Beckett were talking about something pretty serious. When she looked his way, he smiled and waved. She blushed and gave him a small finger wave.

"I know that look," Tony said to himself, "She's hiding something from me."

He pushed the thought away and stood up. "We got something," he announced. Ryan and Esposito turned around in their chairs, Castle and Beckett heard him and left the break room. The only person missing from this campfire was Ellie.

Tony told the team everything McGee told him. "So he was gay?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah bro, you got a problem with that?" Esposito told him.

"Of course not, I was just thinking that this could be a hate crime" replied Ryan

"We can't rule that out. Meanwhile, Espo check out this Alyssa Monroe. If she's in New York, I want to find her." Beckett began. As she was talking, Ellie jogged to group, slightly short of breath. "Hey, what I miss?"

Beckett rolled her eyes and told Tony to fill her in. "Seriously, what did I ever do to her?"

"Just give it time Bishop" When Tony retelling his story to Bishop, he caught up with Beckett, who was adding info to the murder board.

"Hey I was wondering if you're free tonight. Maybe I could stop by and we could catch up." He asked her. Her mind went straight to Ziva and Tali. She said "No" a little too quickly. "What I mean is that Castle planned a romantic dinner tonight so we're gonna leave Liz with Martha."

"Huh," he said. Now he really didn't believe her. Believe it or not the amazing Detective Kate Beckett had her tells.

"Well another time I guess."

Kate hated lying to Tony, after all that they have been through, this is how she treats him? This thing with Ziva needs to end, she thought, it needs to end soon. Tony gave her a smile and soon as he was out of earshot She took out her phone and called Castle. She waited for him to pick up but he never did. She sighed and looked at the murder board. Nothing made sense. Why would Reid leave that message? How are the two victims linked? Somehow Alyssa Monroe is involved, but how? Kate didn't know and she hated not knowing. This was possibly the most difficult case she has ever faced.

"Alyssa Monroe, it seems, is an alias," Esposito walked towards her, breaking her train of thought. She looked at the file he gave her.

"Sylvia Ahmed, Mossad officer?" Beckett was shocked. A Mossad officer crossing paths with her case? It couldn't have been a coincidence.

"Yeah, and get this. When I called headquarters in Israel they told me she didn't exsist." Espo told her.

"It's probably because she's undercover," Doing what, Beckett didn't know. She had another Mossad officer that needed to be questioned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ziva?" Kate called as she opened the door. Instead of the Israeli's voice she heard another one. One belonging to a certain Lizzie Castle.

"Mommy. Mommy, Mommy!" Liz called as she ran into her mother's waiting arms. As Kate held Liz, all of her troubles melted away.

"She just woke up from her nap, Tali is still sleeping" a voice spoke from behind her.

"Jesus Ziva. You have to stop sneaking up on me like that!" Kate scolded Ziva and put Liz down. The toddler ran to go play with her toys.

"Is there something wrong?" Ziva asked the detective. Kate didn't know how she did it but she managed to tell her everything. When she was finished she asked, "So.. do you know this Sylvia Ahmed?"

Ziva replied, "I do not know her personally but I know of her."

"What do you mean?"

"She was recruited by the Mossad when I left to become a liason officer with NCIS. She soon became known as a merciless soldier. She became my father's right hand. That is until I came back. She was then demoted but her operations continued to be a huge success. She has many deaths under her belt, almost as many as mine. When I left Mossad again to become a NCIS agent she was back to being m father's comrade in arms. Last I heard of her, she was doing undercover work in Siberia."

Kate didn't even bother correcting her English, who cared anyways?

"But when Esposito called Mossad they told him she didn't exist."

"That means she's either undercover, or gone rogue."

"What about her undercover work? Was she that good?"

"I heard that she'd do anything just to get the job done." Ziva explained.

Kate sighed and looked over at Liz, it seemed while they were talking, Tali woke up and started playing with her friend. Then, Kate had an idea.

"Hey Ziva. Let's leave the girls with Castle and go out tonight, how does that sound?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tony was dying in the hotel room. He was so bored. The TV had no Pay Per View and they weren't even playing any good films. Bishop fell asleep claiming "jet lag" She was no fun. Then, he decided to visit his favorite god-daughter in the whole world, she wouldn't be sleeping. It was only 7 p.m.

On the way to Castle's apartment, he decided to stop by a pharmacy. He picked up some balloons, a teddy bear, and of course, candy. He left and wound up getting lost. He went to the nearest bar, it was called Excelsior and judging by the number of people inside, it was pretty popular. Tony went straight to the bartender and asked for directions. At first he was weary of the bartender's directions and was reluctant to follow them until he saw Castle's apartment building come to view.

He said hello to Damien, the doorman and gave him a Snickers bar. On the way up Tony thought about the small talk he'd have to make with Martha. She was a great person but, like Ducky, her stories went on forever. The elevator doors opened and he knocked on the penthouse door. When the door opened, he gave a small gasp. Not believing who opened the door.

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**Who could it be? It's obvious, I know. I guess you could call this a cliff hanger and call me cruel but, whatever. Have an amazing day everyone!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the new chapter! We need to have a heart to heart. First, the latest NCIS episode? With Tony's new fling? I love it! Especially the part with Abby and Tony in her lab? I was BAWLING. What about the Castle episode? THEY'RE FINALLY MARRIED! After seven seasons it finally happened! The whole episode was great, the ending was perfect. AND THE SONG! It was just...wow. What did you guys think about either of these episodes? PM me. I'd really like to know.**

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"Alexis!" Tony exclaimed. He had not expected to see the college kid, he thought see was at school.

"Tony!" she gave him a hug.

"You look all different, quite mature actually, it's freaking me out" he told her, causing her to laugh.

"I come bearing gifts" he held up the bag as he walked inside. He saw Liz, playing with her toys and talking to another girl around her age. Martha was nowhere to be found. Tony turned to Alexis and said, "So they put you on babysitting duty?"

"Uh, no. I actually volunteered," was her reply.

Castle told Alexis the story with Ziva and Tony and was eager to meet little Tali. When Tony showed up at the door, she really wasn't expecting it. But of course, Alexis liked Tony and hasn't seen him in a long time. She tried to come up with a cover story about Talia but it seemed that she didn't need to.

"I see Liz is on a playdate," Tony said.

"Oh, uh, yea. Her parents went out and they had no babysitter"

Liz hadn't yet noticed her godfather so she continued playing with her friend. Tony inspected the girl. She looked vaguely familiar but Tony couldn't place where she had seen someone who looked like her.

"Lexi!" Liz turned around to speak to her sister. She spotted Tony and her face broke out into a grin."Tony!" she yelled, laughing and waddling towards him.

"Hey kiddo," he laughed and picked her up. She'd gotten heavier since he last seen her. When she noticed what he had in his hand, she squirmed in his grip.

"Toys, toys! Look Tali, toys!" Tony froze. The other girl's name was Tali? As in Talia? That was Ziva's sister's name. _It had to be a coincidence_, he thought. Tali came over to Liz and they started looking through Tony's bags. Alexis stood there, shocked. She seen Tony's reaction to Tali's name and thought that he had realized who Tali really was. She needed to call her dad.

"I'll be right back, Tony" Alexis told him. She ran into her dad's office and locke the door behind her. She picked up Castle's office phone and called him.

"Hey Alexis," Castle greeted.

"Hey, Dad, where are you?" she anxiously asked.

"I'm at the precinct with Ryan and Esposito"

"I think we have a situation here." she told him and she started explaining what happened.

"Is that why you're calling from my office phone?" he asked when she was finished.

"Yes"

"Ok, just making sure. I'll be right there" Sure enough, 20 minutes later there he was, bursting through the loft's door.

"Castle," Tony said, surprised. He was supposed to be on his dinner with Kate, wasn't he?

"What are you doing here? What happened to the dinner?"

"What dinner?"

"That dinner you and Kate are supposed to be on."

"Oh right, I just came back to get the keycard for the hotel room. I forgot it."

"Ah," was all Tony said. He's been an investigator for almost 15 years, he knows when someone is lying to him.

"So this dinner, at which restaurant did you say it was at again?"

"Oh, I didn't. It's at this place called La Salle's in Midtown." Castle had an amazing ability to think on his feet. If Tony knew he was lying, he didn't let on.

"You should be getting back then, wouldn't want to leave Kate all alone now." Tony told him.

Castle nodded, he went up to Liz and Tali and kissed them both goodbye. Tony found it odd that Castle would go around kissing children that weren't his on their forehead. As Castle was leaving Alexis hissed at him, "Thanks so much for your help, Dad"

"Anytime sweetheart, it was obvious you had everything under control" was his reply as his daughter closed the door on him.

_Now this, is a problem_, he thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Ziva get down. He's here." Kate exclaimed. She ducked under the table so Tony wouldn't see her. Kate decided to take Ziva to this new bar called Excelsior. They have n=been having a good time just until Tony walked through the door.

Ziva instinctively pulled out one of her hidden knives. "Kate, what's wrong?"

"Ziva, put that thing away and get down here. It's Tony" She looked towards his direction and noticed he was talking to the bartender.

"Kate, I don't think he can see us, it's safe to come out." Ziva started laughing. Of all places, this is where she sees him. He looked... nice. She was surprised. It's been two years since she last seen him, since she broke his heart. She started wondering about how he's been the past couple of years. She watched him talk to the bartender and walk away, back to the streets of New York. When he was gone, she called Kate back up. "Well, crisis averted" when she said that, both women started laughing. They couldn't stop.

"Okay, okay, so I acted a little rashly," Kate said defensively.

"A little?" Ziva begun laughing again.

"Are you okay Ziva? I know seeing him must have been hard for you." Ziva thought about the question. She was conflicted on her feelings, she still loved him but she thought that he moved on. After all, it's been two years. He probably had a girlfriend. However, it still felt good seeing him.

"So... what's his girlfriend like?" Ziva asked Kate. Now it was her turn to laugh.

"C'mon Ziva. You know that he's been hung up on you these past two years right? Sure he acts all happy all the time but it's just a mask. Deep down, he's pretty depressed. I think if it wasn't for NCIS and his team I don't know where he'd be right now. That's why I think you should come clean. I think that this would be great, not for you, and not even for Tony. But for Tali, Ziva, you're a mother and you should be thinking for not only yourself, but for your daughter." Kate had thought about this for a long time. It felt good to finally let it out.

"Of course Kate, you're absolutely right. I just don't know if it's the greatest idea, I mean with everything going on with Bodnar's group, The Dominates, I don't know if it's the right time to bring Tony into our lives. I don't know how he'll react, especially with Tali. I don't if he'd even want to get back to gether with me. I don' know Kate! I just don't know." Ziva didn't realize she was crying until she felt Kate hugging her. She sobbed into her shoulder, not caring if people were looking at her. It felt good to realease everything she's been feeling, all that stress and all her emotions just poured out.

"Ziva, it's going to be okay. Things are rough now and that's understandable. But after this, you have to stay strong. Keep yourself going because things could either get better, or worse from here, it's up to you to figure out how you're going to handle it. Even when you're not feeling brave, just fake it. It really is helpful to just pretend." Ziva knew that she was right but right now, all she wanted was to hold Tali in her arms.

"Can we go home?" she asked Kate.

As they paid the bill, Kate saw that Castle had called a couple of times. She decided to not call back because she felt that it wasn't right to Ziva that she would talk to her husband while she was having an emotional breakdown. When they got to the loft however, Kate realized that she made a horrible mistake by not calling Castle.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record but please, please, please, please forgive me. I know as a reader, I hate when authors do this. It's unfair and I hate myself for doing this to you guys. *_It's been three months Val. Pull yourself together_* I've been sick the last couple of months and needed a surgery :/. Have no fear! I _am _getting better. And I sincerely thank you for sticking with me through this crazy ride! Also, I've been reading the reviews and just want to say thank you to everyone that commented/ favorited/ and followed. ;)**

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From before they got in front of the door, the two women heard squeals of laughter. This caused Ziva to smile, she couldn't wait to see her daughter again. Kate unlocked the door and froze, this caused Ziva to bumped into her. When she peered over Kate's shoulder, her heart stopped.

There he was.

Both Elizabeth and Tali were on top of him and he was tickling them until they were in tears.

He was playing with his daughter and he didn't even know it.

Tony didn't look a day older. Ziva's military training kicked in and and she moved to the side of the door.

It was too late. Little Liz had already noticed her mother standing there, "Mommy! Mommy!" Liz ran towards her mother and gave her a hug. "Hi baby," Kate cooed.

Tony stood up, now he was getting a little angry. "Kate? What happened to your date? Did you forget something too? Or did you just think that I wouldn't be here? I mean if you didn't want to do anything with me you could have just told me instead of lying. I can't believe you'd do this to me. I don't care about you blowing me off ... but lying? I could expect Castle doing something like this, but not you."

While Tony was talking, Tali was wondering where her mother was. She saw the door open and waddled towards it. There she found Ziva leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. Tali walked over to her and tapped her leg. Ziva looked down and smiled. Her precious baby girl, she spent almost two years without a father figure in her life. Ziva picked Tali up and cradled her in her arms. A shadow fell over her from the doorway and Ziva looked up, thinking it was Kate.

It wasn't.

Tony just stood there too shocked to move. Ziva tried saying something but nothing could come out of her mouth. There he was right in front of her. But there was a look in his eyes, it was filled with betrayal and resentment. That was when Kate walked into the hallway and saw what was unfolding. There was Ziva and Tony, still as statues. Little Tali was squirming in her mother's arms. Reaching for Tony. He turned to Kate, "You knew?" She looked down, unable to look at her best friend in the eyes. That was when Tony turned around and walked away. Ziva cried out, "Tony! Wait, please!" But it was too late, the elevator doors closed with a ding.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tony spent the next two hours at Excelsior. He was still mulling over what just happened. That was why Tali looked so familiar, she was Ziva's daughter. In the two years Ziva has been gone, she found a guy and got pregnant. That meant that the relationship they had together meant nothing to her. He started wondering when she came to New York, and if she was returning to Washington. And everyone knew it, even Alexis. He's never felt so betrayed and vulnerable. Tony couldn't even fathom why Kate would keep something like this from him. Didn't she think about how this would impact him in any way? She was practically his sister, he didn't know how he could ever forgive her. Tony had a couple of beers, but not enough to get him drunk. That's when he decided he couldn't handle it anymore. He pulled out his phone and called McGee."Tony? Why are you calling me this late?" But Tony could tell he was still working.  
"Listen Tim, I need you to do me a favor. You should come to New York, I think that you're more useful here than I am. Convince Gibbs that you'd be more of use in New York than in D.C."  
"Tony, I don't understand. What happened to the case? Did you find our killer? Is everything okay?"  
"Yeah everything's all right McGee. I just can't be on this case." Tony didn't want to explain everything to him at that moment.  
"DiNozzo" Gibbs' . "DiNozzo, are you drunk?"  
"Well, Boss, I've had a couple of drinks. But I'm not drunk"  
"DiNozzo! I want you on the next flight back here. We are going to have some words."  
"Sure thing Boss"  
By the morning, Tony was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Tony returned to Washington, the sun was rising. He was in no mood to go to his apartment so he went to the office, knowing no one will be working this early. He bought some coffee for the guard working the early morning shift.  
"Good morning, Mickey. How are you on this beautiful morning?" Tony greeted the guard and handed him the cup of coffee. He begun to remove anything that could make the metal detector's alarm go off.  
"Thanks Agent DiNozzo. What are you doing here so early? The director isn't even here yet." Mickey asked Tony.  
"Couldn't sleep, I guess. Might as well get an early start on the day." Tony told the guard. Then, the alarm went off. Mickey gave Tony a sympathetic look as he did a physical body check. Tony forgot the keys in his pocket.  
"Sorry Mickey, guess I need a little more sleep." Tony apologized and headed for the elevator.

The elevator doors dinged open. Tony checked his phone to find he had no new messages. They haven't realized he left, yet. He decided to turn his phone off, he wouldn't be able to deal with anyone from New York. A quick look around the floor told ony that he was the only one there. He walked to his desk and turned the lamp light on. He started going through the files that McGee left him. They had everything pertaining this mysterious Alyssa Monroe.  
According to McGee, he hasn't done any deep research on Ms. Monroe yet. So that was what Tony set out to do.

Hours later, Gibbs comes in with his usual morning cup of coffee. He spotted someone at Tony's desk; walking closer he realized it was DiNozzo himself. He was drooling over his keyboard. Gibbs looked at his computer screen to see if he had found anything and he had. There was a picture of Alyssa Monroe, but under a different name. According to the online file, she was Sylvia Ahmed, officer of Mossad. Next to the screen was a sticky note with only word on it, Ziva. Gibbs let the agent sleep for another hour until his impatience got the better of him. He walked over to DiNozzo's desk and slapped him on the back of the head.

"I'm up Boss!" Tony jumped up.  
"Come with me, DiNozzo." Gibbs walked to the elevator, waited for Tony, then pushed the emergency brake.  
"Speak" Once Tony requested to come back to Washington, he knew something was wrong.  
"Well Boss, it's a long story. I wouldn't want to bore you. Where's McGee? Has he gone yet?"  
"McGee left last night. Why are you here?"  
"Okay Boss, you asked for it." Tony told him everything. After an hour of still explaining, Gibbs's phone rang. It was the director.  
"I'd like my elevator back please"

Gibbs ignored the command and allowed Tony to continue explaining.

When Tony finished, Gibbs felt conflicted. He began to understand why Ziva left, she was trying to protect her family. Gibbs didn't understand why she didn't tell him, she could have told him anything. A theory was forming in the back of his mind. What if the girl was Tony's? He knew that Ziva cared for Tony and she wouldn't just turn her back on him. Even if it broke Gibbs's rules. It was obvious that Tony felt conflicted, Gibbs didn't want to push him. He pressed the emergency brake, causing the elevator to lurch.

The doors opened, revealing a peeved looking Director Vance.  
"Well ,it took you boys long enough. DiNozzo, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in New York."  
"Well, Director, McGee went. He was more qualified."  
"Excuse me, Vance, we have a case to get back to." Gibbs interrupted, changing the subject. Tony felt relieved when he did, not wanting to talk about New York.  
"Get going, then" And with that, the director went upstairs to his office.

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**So.. what do you guys think? How did I handle this?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Here you guys go! A celebratory chapter because 3XK is finally dead! ALSO Kate Beckett is a BAMF! Cheers!**

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"Do you think Ziva knows her?" Tony asked Gibbs.

"Most likely, she did replace Ziva as her father's right hand man." he replied. "Why don't you go downstairs to Abby's lab, see if shes got anything new"

Tony left the squad room and bought an extra large CafPow for Abby. Heavy metal music was blasting and it took Tony a couple of yells to get her attention.  
Tony cleared his throat, "Gibbs wants to know-"  
"TONY!" Abby almost pushed him down. "I've missed you! When did you come back? Where's Bishop and McGee? How were the Castles? And little Elizabeth?" she asked him  
"They're in New York, and everyone is good."  
Abby could tell that something was wrong, she could see it in his eyes. She closed both exits of the lab and made Tony sit down.  
"Spill it DiNozzo" she ordered. For the second time that day, Tony told his painful tale. When he was done, there were tears in Abby's eyes.  
"Oh Tony, I am so sorry. I can't believe they would do something like that to you."

"It's okay Abs, I'll be fine. You shouldn't be worrying about me." Tony told the Goth. Abby doubted that he going to get over this anytime soon, so she let the subject drop.  
She grabbed her CafPow and started drinking. "So, I'm guessing that Gibbs told you to come down here to see if I have anything new." Abby told him.  
"Well, you guessed correct, milady." Tony replied.  
"Okay, so our victim put up one helluva fight. On his knuckles, I found some skin cells that didn't belong to him." she explained.  
"So you're telling me that they belonged to his killer? Were you able to find any DNA?"  
The forensic scientist glared at him. "Of course I checked to see if there was any DNA. Luck is on our side, Agent DiNozzo. "  
"Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?" he asked.  
"Yup, you find me DNA to match and you've got your killer!" she exclaimed.  
"Thank you Abby!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in New York, Castle and Beckett started their day earlier than usual as well. Beckett couldn't fall asleep the night before, thinking about how Tony was feeling. She tried calling him numerous times but her calls went straight to voice mail. She stopped leaving messages after the 20th time. Castle couldn't sleep because Beckett continued tossing and turning right next to him. When heard what went down, he went straight for the liquor cabinet. Ziva and Kate were gonna need strong drinks. Alexis got the girls ready for bed. Before going to sleep, they asked her multiple questions about their favorite Uncle Tony. Once the girls fell asleep, so did their parents. Everyone was eager to leave the day behind them.

When Ryan and Esposito finally arrived, they got to work.  
"Hey, Ryan, have you gotten anywhere on the search for George Spencer?"Beckett asked him.  
"Not yet, but we did find an eyewitness that saw someone matching out suspects description using a payphone a couple of blocks away from Ried's apartment building," he told her.  
Excited about the new lead she asked, "Where has that gotten you?"

Ryan shook his head, "Nowhere"

A couple of minutes later, Bishop walked in. "Wow, everyone's here early. Even Tony. When I woke up he was already gone."  
Now Bishop had Kate attention. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

"Detective, what are you talking about? He got an early start to the day, he's here." Bishop thought Kate was playing games with her.  
"Bishop. Tony. Is. Not. Here." Beckett enunciated her words, so Bishop could understand.  
"Okay, then he probably went out to get coffee."  
Castle could see that his wife was worrying. They looked at each other, silently conversing. Ziva.

"Don't worry about it, he's most likely doing some errands for Gibbs." Castle said unconvincingly "I will be right back, there are a few calls I need to make." Castle headed towards the elevator, he needed to talk to Ziva. Maybe Tony went back and hashed things out with her. Perhaps, he gave her the chance to explain herself. The elevator doors opened and Castle knew immediately that isn't what happened.  
"McGee! What are you doing here?" Castle exclaimed. He turned around, checking to make sure that Kate hasn't spotted them yet.  
"Hey, Mr. Castle, it's actually a long story and it's not my story to tell" McGee told him. "Tim, what did I tell you about calling me Mr. Castle, Castle is just fine. Let's go tell the others that you're here." Castle led him towards the squad room.  
"Hey, everyone, look at what the cat dragged in." Castle proclaimed.  
Beckett's jaw dropped, McGee being here meant only one thing. Tony's gone. Bishop hopped from the desk she was sitting on, "McGee! What are you doing here? Where did Tony go?"  
McGee smiled, "Hey, Ellie, Tony went back to D.C. He decided that I would be more of use here. Apparently, so did Gibbs."

Kate forced a smile, "Well, I'm glad you're here. We needed a fresh pair of eyes."

Esposito realized something was up. Why was Kate and Castle acting so tense? Why did Tony leave suddenly, without a goodbye? "Happy to have you, Tim" he told the agent. "Ryan, can you come with me for a second? We have things to discuss."  
Ryan followed Esposito into the break room. He closed the doors and said, "Bro, have you noticed something weird going between Castles and the feds?".  
Ryan looked uncomfortable, "I thought it was just me, I'm pretty sure something went down between them. How else could you explain Agent DiNozzo leaving like that?".  
"I'm worried about how this is gonna affect Beckett, she already looks shaken up. I should tell Lanie about this, let her talk with Beckett." Esposito said.  
"Okay, just keep an eye out, make sure she doesn't do anything drastic." Ryan told him

"I highly doubt it, but let's go before anyone gets suspicious." Esposito said.

As they walked out, so did McGee. McGee spoke, "Guys, I just got off the phone with Tony, he said that Abby found DNA on Reid's knuckles. If we have DNA to match, then we caught our killer."  
"Reid's killer, or attacker? Maybe they're two different people." Castle pointed out. "Either way, we need to find out who that DNA belongs to. I'll ask Lanie to send a sample of George Spencer's DNA. I'll go down to the ME's office now. Oh McGee, did Tony say anything else?" Kate asked McGee. He shook his head and Kate walked out. As soon as she did, Esposito whipped out his phone and texted Lanie, explaining the situation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Lanie?" Kate called when she entered the morgue. The medical examiner walked out, it seemed as if she was finishing an autopsy because she in her scrubs and wearing protective gear. "Sit" she ordered. Kate complied. "I came down here for-" she started, but Lanie interuppted. "I know what you came for, the DNA was already sent to Abby it's in her hands now." Kate stood up, "Well then, I guess that's it". Lanie gave her a death stare. "Detective Beckett, sit your butt down or so help me." she said. Kate sat down, mostly out of fear that Lanie would kill her if she didn't do otherwise. "Speak," the medical examiner ordered, "and start from the beginning," And so Kate did, she explained everything. She told her about the drama between Ziva and Tony. Lanie listened intently for the hour hour Kate was speaking. When she got towards the end, Kate began to cry. Lanie was her shoulder to lean on. Kate felt awful for doing what she did, she knew that allowing Castle to ;let Ziva come in her home will have consequences. She should've expected Tony's reaction, but it still surprised her. He was even angrier than in high school, when Kate refused to go to prom with him. She didn't want to go at all. But at the end, she did go to the prom, with her best friend. "Girl, when Tony comes to his senses and realizes that he loves you and Ziva enough to overcome his feeling of betrayal." Lanie explained, and hugged her. "Thank you so much Lanie, I really needed this" Kate suddenly felt grateful that she had a level minded best friend who gives out the greatest advice and makes the best cosmos. "Well, that's what I'm here for" Lanie told her.

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**Hey guys, just wondering if I can ask you a question. Are my chapters too short? Please tell me if they are, I'd love to have other people's opinions. Thank you! **

**Happy Presidents Week! (For my Americans)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi, everyone. I'm sorry for the long delay. It's been a rough couple of months and I haven't been writing as much so I apologize greatly. Also, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't the greatest. One chapter left! Let me know what you guys think!  
xoxo**

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"The DNA that Lanie sent me, isn't a match" Abby told Gibbs on the phone. "George Spencer is not our killer. But, yet I did find something interesting, come down so I tell you." Gibbs hung up and turned to Tony. "Abby's got something."

"What took you guys so long? I was starting to get worried." Abby said when they walked in.  
"What do you got for us Abs?" Gibbs asked her.  
"Well comparing Spencer's DNA with the killer's led to no match. Then, I compared Spencer's DNA with Reid's DNA and found something interesting." she explained to them.  
"Let me guess, they're related somehow." Tony told her.  
"Yes", Abby said. "They're brothers!"  
"Thank you Abby," Gibbs kissed her and they left. On the way back to the squad room, Tony asked Gibbs about the club's guard. Gibbs answered,"He was his half-brother. Maybe it's time for him to stop by. "  
When Reid arrived, they put him in the interrogation room. Gibbs and Tony waited a few hours to see how he handles under pressure. Reid didn't seem nervous, just inconvenienced, as if he had somewhere to be. At last Gibbs walked in, holding a case file. He sat across Reid and placed two photos on the table. They were photos of Samuel Reid and George Spencer.  
"Do you recongnize these two men?" Gibbs asked him. He watched as Reid took in a sharp breath as he saw his brother's dead body. "Is that Sammy?" he asked Gibbs. He nodded. Reid looked at the photo of Spencer , his eyes narrowed. "Is this the man that killed my brother?" He asked Gibbs. "Are you sure you don't recognize this man?" Gibbs asked Reid. "Why? Should I?" he replied.  
"You should, considering that this is Samuel Reid's brother." Gibbs told him. "Sammy never mentioned him to me."  
"You don't seemed surprised." Gibbs told him. "Well, I don't know every detail of my brother's life. We have the same father, I'm not surprised that he had siblings from his mother." "According to the DNA results, they have the same parents" Reid looked at Gibbs. "Sammy never told me about him. What's his name?"  
"George Spencer"  
"George Spencer? I know that name from somewhere. He is on the list at the club the list of people that are allowed to meet with Alyssa" Reid told Gibbs.

Gibbs looked behind him towards the mirror, hoping Tony would get the message.

"We're going to need a copy of that list Mr. Reid" Gibbs told him

"The problem is, that's confidential. You're going to need a court order for that." Reid explained. And with that Gibbs got up and left the interrogation room.

Tony met him in the hallway. "I just got off the phone with Judge Conway, Boss. He said that he's willing to give the court order for the list." Gibbs threw Tony the keys, "Let's get going then." When they showed up at the club, Gibbs ordered the meek guard to get him a copy of the list. He also asked the guard if Alyssa Monroe was in. The guard told him that she was still in New York. Gibbs figured later on he'll give Kate a call to see if she's made any progress on the case. "DiNozzo" he ordered.

"Yes boss"  
"I want you to run these names. Find out what was going on between them and Ahmed." "Right away, boss." When Tony ran the names back at the agency he found an abnormality. "Boss," he said. "All these names check out. Except this one. Arthur Grossman, he doesn't come up in any of the databases." "That's because DiNozzo, Arthur Grossman, was a character on CHiPS." Gibbs said.

"Of course he was, boss. I'll go back to the club to see if any of the employees could give me a description of him." When DiNozzo left Gibbs picked up the phone and called Beckett. "Detective Beckett" she answered.  
"Beckett, its Gibbs. I called to see if you've made any progress on the case you're working on." He said to her. He was in no mood to get involved in the drama between them. "Hey, Gibbs. How are you? How's Tony? Actually, McGee and Bishop think that they might have found Ahmed. An eyewitness placed her at a new club that just opened downtown. We think that she was checking out competition. How about you guys? Have you found anything interesting that you might want to share?" she asked him. "The DNA your medical examiner sent over was not a match for the killer's. Instead, we discovered that our victims were brothers." Gibbs told her.

"Brothers? Really? That's something. But that still doesn't explain why Reid left the message on Spencer's phone. It sounded like they didn't know each other." Beckett said. Gibbs thought about it. "I'll call Dean Reid to see if his brother had any money problems that he knew about." "Sounds like a plan, Gibbs. Hey, is everything okay with Tony? Is he feeling all right? " Beckett asked.

Gibbs sighed, "Whatever you guys have going on, it's between you two. Don't drag me into this."  
Beckett was expecting an answer like that. She sighed, "Thanks Gibbs." She hung up.

Back in New York Beckett and her team were in for another all nighter. "Okay, so according to Gibbs our two victims were brothers."  
"Brothers? I don't think any of my brothers would threaten to kill me over money" Esposito said.  
"Really, Javi? Because I've seen your brothers argue over Christmas dinner." Ryan said with a laugh.  
"Hey, watch it." His partner replied.

"What if they didn't know that they were brothers? What if it were all just a coincidence?" Bishop asks the group. "They are no such things as a coincidence" the whole group chimes. "Any leads on Sylvia Ahmed?" Beckett asks McGee and Bishop. "Well we think that she's staying in a hotel in the Upper West Side" Bishop tells her. "What makes you think that?" Beckett asks. "Well, we've scoured traffic cams and atm camera footage. She's beed spotted entering and exiting the same building." McGee jumps in.  
"Good work, both of you. Check it out tomorrow." Beckett told them.

"I don't understand where the Mossad fits in with all his." Castle says.  
"Maybe it has nothing to with it, we won't know until we speak to her." Beckett tells her.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Well boss, I think we figured out who Arthur Grossman is." DiNozzo tells Gibbs. "The descriptions the guards gave me sounded quite familiar. I started showing a photo around for confirmation and it is none other than George Spencer."  
"This proves that they were in contact with each other." Gibbs says.  
"But how do we know what they were doing with Monroe? The men on the list had different stories to tell" Tony asks.

"Call Beckett, Ahmed has been spotted in New York." Gibbs tells him. Tony gritted his teeth, he'd rather not. Instead, he called McGee and told him to ask Ahmed about her meetings with the men.

The next day, McGee and Bishop went to hotel on the Upper West Side. According to the doorman, Ahmed was in room 125. She was sitting on a chair facing the door, waiting for them. "It's about time" she told them.

"You are quite the club owner, Ms. Monroe, or should I say, Ms. Ahmed." Beckett said as she entered the interrogation room. Sylvia Ahmed didn't even register the fact Beckett called her by her real name. "You're wanted in 11 countries Sylvia." She remained expressionless. Kate sighed and sat across from her. "We know your secret, Sylvia. What I want to know is what you were doing in that club. What were those secret meetings? And why the change of name?" What Kate was wondering was why Ahmed willingly came with McGee and Bishop. A small smile began to from on Sylvia's face. "So tell me Detective, how is my partner, Ziva doing with you? And her daughter, her name was Talia I believe, correct? Named after her poor sister, gone too soon." Beckett froze. Through the mirror, she heard muffled yelling. Then, the door to the interrogation room opened and McGee walked in. When Ahmed saw him, she smiled fully. "I'm assuming you're Anthony DiNozzo? The father of little Tali." She looked at him. "What do you know about Ziva?" he said through his teeth. "Where is she?"  
"McGee, I think it's time you leave." Beckett told him.

"Hiding secrets, are you Detective?" Ahmed said before reverting to her previous expressionless face. McGee left the room with the slam of the door. "What do you know, Kate? What aren't you telling me?" McGee asks her.  
"Tim, now is not the time or place for any of this." Beckett says. "Tony isn't the only one she's left behind you know." And with that, McGee headed for the door. Beckett sighed and went back into the interrogation room. Ahmed continued looking forward, her expression never wavering. "I can sit here all day if you want me to. You're not going anywhere." She tells Ahmed. Ahmed just smiles. "Beckett," says Ryan who had just come in through the door. "Her lawyer's here. He's demanding her immediate release." Ryan gives her a sympathetic look before leaving.

"Well, Sylvia, it seems that luck is on your side. But I have no doubt I will be seeing you again." Beckett says, rising from her chair. "It was a pleasure, Detective" Ahmed tells her and leaves. Beckett doesn't even realize Castle's next to her until he says, "Her lawyer was Alton Lewis." Beckett groans. Alton Lewis is a fierce lawyer that would do anything to get what he wants. Beckett always dreaded their meetings. "Of course he is. He's the best that money could buy" she tells Castle.

"Hey, Kate, don't worry about McGee. I'll go over and talk to him, explain the whole situation" Castle said, sensing her unease. "C'mon, Castle how you could explain it to McGee when I can't even tell Tony the truth." Kate tells him. "Honey, it's not your place to tell him. It's Ziva's." Kate looked up at him, "You're right. As you are with most things." "It's what I do best" Castle says, smirking. With that said Kate stood on her tip toes and kissed him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Here it is, everyone. The final chapter. I know that I'm not the greatest writer with the freshest ideas, but I'm a beginner and I'm glad that you have so patient with me (Even though my tardiness with the chapters probably annoyed most of you) I'm also glad that you all have stuck with me since the beginning. For that I'll always be grateful. Thank you all.**

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"We need to find this bitch and we need to find her now" Kate muttered. She had just returned from the hospital, where Ziva was put under a medically induced coma. Ziva suffered major blood loss. The night before, when Kate received Ziva's phone call, she rushed to the apartment. But it was too late. Ahmed was gone, and Ziva was on the floor, bleeding. Castle was right behind her, he saw Ziva, called 911, and ran to check on the girls. They were in their room, asleep. When he came back, Kate had Ziva's phone in her hand. "Castle," Kate said. "We got a confession from Ahmed. Ziva left her phone on and recorded everything." By then, the paramedics arrived and began wheeling an unconscious Ziva out of the loft.

"Beckett," Gates called from her office. "Where are we with Ahmed?" Beckett replied. "We have a confession, all we need is to find her." "I have a contact at Interpol, they have her in custody." Kate stared. "When did this happen? How did this happen?" Gates sighed. "They had an agent trailing her for the past month, but lost sight of her the week Ziva was attacked. They found Ahmed conferring with an associate from China in downtown Brooklyn."

"She couldn't have gone withouta fight, it seems as if it would go against her." Beckett pointed out. Gates scoffed, "She fought, alright. She managed to put another agent in the hospital." "Where is now? Can I speak to her?" Gates sighed. "Beckett, she's being sent back to Israel. They'll incarcerate her there." Beckett was fuming. She wanted to see look on hat bitch's smug face when Kate finally put her away. "I'm sorry Kate, but there's nothing I can do about it. I think it's time for you to go home and be with your girl." "Thank you sir, I will." Beckett said before leaving her office. Beckett explained everything to her team and they all went home.

Kate decided to bring the girls to see Ziva. She wouldn't know that they'd have been there, it would be nice for Tali to see her mother. It bothered Kate that Talia spent the past couple of days without her mother. Tali understood that something bad happened to her mom, and Kate couldn't do anything to soothe her. Taking the girls to see Ziva may be one thing that would help them. Castle tagged along as well. When they got to the room, Castle took Liz to the cafeteria to give Talia and her mom some space. Kate placed Tali on Ziva's hospital bed, aware of the wires surrounding her. Tali looked down at her mom, she hugged her and kissed her cheek. Ziva stirred. She opened her eyes to see her daughter, next to her, sitting and watching. Ziva started to cry. She didn't want her daughter to see her like this. It was scary to see your mother on a hospital bed, weak. She thought about the woman that put her in the hospital. She was going to pay for this once Ziva got out. She saw Kate standing near watching them with an amused expression. Kate explained what had happened with Ahmed and how she left to Israel. Kate heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned around to see Tony standing in the doorway. "Tony!" she ran to him and hugged him. He looked up to see Ziva staring at him. "Hey Katie bear, I'm sorry. For everything." She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "It's okay" she told him. "I'll leave you two alone, come on, Tali." Ziva held her, "No, I want her here" she croaked. Kate nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

When Ziva saw Tony, her heart leapt. It was finally time to talk about everything. It may not be the best timing but it would have to do. "Hey Tali" Tony knelt and greeted her. "Uncle Tony!" she leaned over and reached for him. He lifted her up and held her. He looked over at Ziva, who was watching them, looking content. He sat on a chair keeping Tali on his lap. "Hi" Tony said to Ziva. "Hello," she replied. "Looks like you've gotten yourself in a situation here, Ms. David." Tony told her. "Stop Tony, don't make me laugh. It hurts." He stopped and sat up straighter. "Why didn't you come with me?" he asked. "What stopped you? Was it someone else? Tali's father? You should've told me. I've spent two years thinking about what I could've done to change this. To make you stay. Turns out, it wouldn't have mattered because you didn't care. About me, about Gibbs and McGee, everyone at NCIS. How could you?" He didn't realize he was crying until he felt Tali touching his tears. "Tony, you idiot." Ziva told him. "We've worked together for almost ten years and you've thought I've never loved you? I've watched you grieve over Caitlin, I've watched you fall in love with Jeanne. You thought that I was just another bystander. It hurt. So instead I turned to my own relationships. Michael and Ray were only distractions. I loved you and only you. How dare you think that Talia is not your daughter because she is. I was scared when I found out I was pregnant. I had no idea what I was going to do about it. So I decided not to tell. It would've ruined you. So how dare you think that I never cared. Everyone at NCIS is my blood family. I always cared and I always will." Ziva was fuming. The nerve of him. Tony looked down ata now sleeping Tali in his arms. "She's mine?" he whispered and kissed her forehead. He looked up at Ziva. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I wish you told me. I would've never left. I love you. I always have and always will." He stood up and kissed her, on the lips. "I love you so much" he told her.

Kate met Castle in the cafeteria. She picked up Liz and held her. "You'll never believe who I just saw." she told Castle. "Let me guess, Tony?" he asked. "How could you have known?" she asked him. "I called him right after they rolled Ziva out of the loft. He deserved to know." Kate looked at him, "I love you."

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**NCIS IS NOW ON NETFLIX**


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